Wheeler Opera House announces more than 20 events for winter

The Peking Acrobats will perform at the Wheeler Opera House on Feb. 8.Courtesy photo |

The Wheeler Opera House announced more than 20 winter events Thursday, Nov. 16, at its season kickoff party at the Cooking School of Aspen.

Wheeler executive director Gena Buhler described the additions to the winter season as “blockbuster family programming, mesmerizing theater shows and roof-raising concerts.”

The winter lineup announced Thursday comes in addition to the previously announced schedule for December and for the Aspen Laugh Festival in February.

Diverse offerings range from pop and classical music to film, kid-friendly shows, dance and magic.

Live music acts include the Nashville band Birdtalker on Jan. 13, the Irving Berlin tribute “I Love a Piano” on Feb. 3, tenor trio Gentri on Feb. 15, The Commodores on March 3, Classic Albums Live’s performance of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” on March 13 and return performances by Bruce Cockburn on Feb. 17, “One Night of Queen” on March 1, Los Lobos on March 2 and Under the Streetlamp on March 10.

The theater will host a series of documentary presentations by Mountainfilm, including an evening of Americana-themed short films Jan. 16 and a Nepal-themed evening Feb. 16, along with the feature “Bill Nye: Science Guy” on March 11.

For kids, shows will include “Shopkins Live!” based on the popular line of toys, on Jan. 30 and “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” on March 21.

The theater also will host a dance performance by Argentina’s Che Malambo on Feb. 11, which Buhler — who was a dance major at the University of Michigan — said was the event she most looked forward to this winter. The Peking Acrobats will headline the theater Feb. 8 and magician Bill Blagg will perform Feb. 18.

Also on the docket: The immersive multimedia theater experience “PostSecret: The Show” on Feb. 10 and the “Game of Thrones” spoof “Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice and Fire” on March 23.

The Wheeler also announced two comedy shows: a Winterskol weekend stand-up set by “American Ninja Warrior” host Matt Iseman on Jan. 12 and another by “Last Comic Standing” winner Iliza Shlesinger on March 16. The venue also last month announced an Aspen Laugh Festival lineup that boasts some of the biggest names in the festival’s history: The Second City (Feb. 21), Paula Poundstone (Feb. 22), Colin Jost and Jeff Ross (Feb. 23), Mike Birbiglia and Tiffany Haddish (Feb. 24).

The Wheeler’s previously announced lineup of December events includes a New Year’s Eve performance by the Infamous Stringdusters and a Christmas night performance of “Neil Berg’s Broadway Holiday” along with comedian Heather McDonald (Dec. 17), Starship featuring Mickey Thomas (Dec. 28) and magician Jason Latimer (Dec. 30).

The season also will include eight science talks in the long-running Aspen Center for Physics lecture series at the theater, broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera’s “The Met: Live in HD” series and the Aspen Historical Society’s “Aspen History 101.” Aspen Films’ Academy Screenings will take over the Wheeler Dec. 19 to 21 and Dec. 26 to 29.

“There truly is something for everyone on this winter series,” said Buhler, now in her third season at the helm of the Wheeler.